Leukemia

Leukemia (leukaemia in Commonwealth English) is a group of blood diseases characterized by malignancies (cancer) of the blood-forming tissues. Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer in the industrialised world; in the UK, around one in 2000 children are affected.

Types

Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases. Leukemia is also clinically split in to its acute and chronic forms. Furthermore, the diseases are classified according to the type of abnormal cell found most in the blood (lymphoid cells or myeloid cells). When leukemia affects lymphoid cells, it is called lymphocytic leukemia. When myeloid cells are affected, the disease is called myeloid or myelogenous leukemia.

Related Topics:
Acute - Chronic - Lymphoid cells - Myeloid cells

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The four main forms are:

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• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of leukemia in young children. This disease also affects adults, especially those age 65 and older.
• Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) occurs in both adults and children. This type of leukemia is sometimes called acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL).
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) most often affects adults over the age of 55. It sometimes occurs in younger adults, but it almost never affects children.
• Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) occurs mainly in adults. A very small number of children also develop this disease.

The most common forms in adults are AML and CLL, whereas in children ALL is more prevalent.

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Acute leukemias are characterised by the rapid growth of immature blood cells. This crowding makes the bone marrow unable to produce healthy blood cells. Acute forms of leukemia are most common in children and young adults. (In fact, it is a more common cause of death for children in the US than any other type of malignant disease). Immediate treatment is required in acute leukemias due to the rapid progression and accumulation of the malignant cells, which then spill over into the bloodstream and spread to other organs of the body. If left untreated, the patient will die within months or even weeks.

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Chronic leukemias are distinguished by the excessive buildup of relatively mature, but still abnormal, blood cells. Typically taking months to years to progress, the cells are produced at a much higher rate than normal cells, resulting in many abnormal white blood cells in the blood. Chronic leukemia mostly occurs in older people, but can theoretically occur in any age group. Whereas acute leukemia must be treated immediately, chronic forms are sometimes monitored for some time before treatment to ensure maximum effectiveness of therapy.

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